Umbrella-runner.



F. WBTIEROTH. UMBRELLA RUNNER. APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 1, 1909.

Patented May 3,1910.

O-UTNOGRAPNERS. WASH NGYON a c UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

FRANK WET'IEROTH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO ZITTLOSENMANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OF LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

UMBRELLA-RUNNER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK WVETTERo'rH, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new anduseful Runner for Umbrellas, of which the following is a specification.

My invention constitutes an improvement in that part of the constructionof an umbrella known as the runner, such being the metal devicesurrounding and sliding upon the customary central rod and to which thestretchers or rib-braces, connecting with the ribs upon which the coveris fastened, are secured.

It is well known to manufacturers that the former general practice ofusing a rod or brace attenuate at its point of junction with a runner isvery unsatisfactory, for strain coming constantly at such point the rodis apt to break there and render repair necessary. This defect does notoccur in umbrellas having my runner, for no flattening or attenuation ofthe rod is necessary, and still another beneficial result is obtainedfor whereas umbrella frames as ordinarily constructed cannot be easilydismembered for repair or replacement of a part, my runner is mostreadily attached to and separable from the rib-braces which it normallyretains. Such desideratums are held to be of great value by practicalmen in the trade, and I attain them and others by the constructionillustrated in the several views forming part of this specification, inwhich Figure 1 is a perspective of my runner; Fig. 2 atop plan view ofthe same, and Fig. 8 a perspective depicting the ribbraces in placewithin their sockets disposed in a part of said runner.

In these several views like numerals refer to like parts, and 1 denotesa cylinder of sheet steel, or other suitable metal, which surrounds andrides upon the central stick of an umbrella. Said cylinder iscorrugated, as shown, in order to afford greater strength to the member;to afford several points of light contact (2) with the central stick 3,so obviating the constant shaking of the runner against said stick foundin ordinary constructions; and to afford a hold for the fingers whenraising or lowering heavy wagon umbrellas. At one of its extremitiescylinder 1 retains, by means of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 1, 1909.

Patented May 3, 1910.

Serial No. 515,615.

an outstruck bead 4E and over lapping flange 5, a separate and distinctannular member 6 which may properly be called a hub, since from itradiate the rib-braces connecting with the ribs. Said hub is formed froma single piece of metal, preferably cold-rolled steel, and for purposesof description may be sub-divided into a body portion 7 which isinterrupted at intervals by dependent socket-s 8 and prolonged betweensaid sockets into gripping tongues 9. Referring to the drawings it willbe noted that'in the preferred form of my invention sockets 8 are openeXteriorly but are inclosed beneath and laterally by the defining metalof said base or body portion 7, and at the proper time in the formationof said hub a ring 10 is placed upon the top 11 of said base portion andis secured in such position by simply bending tongues 9 inwardlythereover. Having devised a hub of the described peculiar construction,I insert in said sockets the hooked and un-attenuated end 12 ofrib-braces 13, said brace preferably being a cylindrical rod of anysuitable metal. It is obvious that from the engagement of the otherextremity of said brace with a rib of the frame said hook 12 willnormally be retained within its socket 8 and it is equally apparent thatby detaching the ends of the ribs from the topnotcher of the umbrellasaid hooks may be readily withdrawn from said sockets of the runner.Here it is proper to point out that a further advantage lies in the factthat because of the before described and illustrated peculiarconformation of sockets 8 the en gagement therein with ring 10 of hooks1.2 is very snug and lateral movement of braces 18, which is anundesirable feature, is prevented by the close contact of said hookswith side walls 14 of said sockets.

I am perfectly familiar with many patents which have been granted uponalleged improvements in umbrella runners but I am not aware that any ofthem anticipate either the construction of or the results attained by myinvention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is 1. Incombination with a cylinder surrounding and moving upon the centralstick of an umbrella, an annular hub formed of a single piece of thinmetal indented at intervals into a plurality of depending sockets andprolonged between said sockets into a plurality of tongues, said socketsclosed in teriorly, laterally and beneath and open above and exteriorly,said tongues rebent and retaining a ring passing above each of saidsockets, ope-n hooks upon an extremity of umbrella rods detachablyretained in said sockets in engagement with said ring, and meansafforded by the conformation of said sockets whereby lateral movement ofsaid rods therein inserted is prevented.

2. An umbrella runner comprising a corrugated cylindrical member adaptedto ride upon the customary central stick of such an article, andsurmounted by an outstanding annular hub, said hub formed of a singlepiece of thin metal divisible into a base portion substantially at rightangles to said cylindrical member, said base portion integral with andinterrupted at intervals by depending sockets and prolonged at theintervals between said sockets into inwardly bent tongues gripping aring disposed above said sockets, the conformation of said socketsaffording means for the retention of open hooks, upon an extremity orumbrella rods in engagement with said ring, said con'- formationlikewise aiiording means for the ready release of said hooks from saidengagement, means to prevent the lateral movement of said umbrella rodsand means for retaining said hub upon said cylindrical member.

FRANK XVETTEROTH.

\Vitnesses J ULIA M. LAURENT, A. M. GRIFFIN.

